Corner Brook’s Victoria-Rose Bennett trying to find her balance on a sheet of curling ice

Victoria-Rose Bennett says that whenever she walks by anything she either falls down or stubs her toe.

He mother, Ellen Rowsell, is quick to point out she also has a knack for knocking over whatever is in her path.

“I call her Tornado Tory,” her mom said Tuesday.

The seven-year-old Grade 2 student is a little on the clumsy side, but she may have found the thing that will help her be more steady on her feet and not pose a risk to innocent bystanders when she’s walking through a crowd.

The daughter of Ellen Rowsell and Calvin Bennett Jr. is a member of the Little Rocks Program offered at the Corner Brook Curling Club for the first time.

It is a Curling Canada initiative designed to introduce boys and girls ages 6-10 to the game of curling with a program that is all about learning the sport in a safe and inclusive environment where the emphasis is on having fun on the ice with a group of volunteers providing the instruction and encouragement required for the program to be a success.

Victoria-Rose came home with a flyer from Sacred Heart School with information about the Little Rocks Program.

Her mom thought it would be something her daughter would enjoy, so she recommended her daughter get involved. Mom thought the cost of getting registered for the one-hour per week sessions was affordable and thought it would be a good time to get her daughter involved with sports.

Her grandfather, Victor Rowsell, covered the registration fee for the program, and she was ready to go.

Victoria-Rose loves being on the ice. She always loved to skate fast and actually thought she would be wearing skates to curl, but found out quickly that she would be wearing sneakers. She forged ahead anyway because she figured gliding and sliding along a sheet of ice would also be fun.

Trying to keep herself steady on the ice, with only one sneaker with tape on the bottom for traction, hasn’t gone without a hitch. She has had her share of spills while trying to find her balance, but she was told “if you don’t fall down you can’t learn,” so she was just fine with a bump or two.

More importantly, she has learned a valuable lesson from the sport and she’s just getting started. The Star asked her what the most important thing is to do after you fall down, and she had a quick response.

“If you don’t get up you can’t play,” she said.

Decked out in her Santa hat, this girl was all smiles talking about the game. She is sharing the ice with some of her good friends from Sacred Heart and she’s gained new friends from other schools who also love to throw rocks.

Her mom is happy to see her active and enjoying what she does. Mom likes the fact the sport is one that her daughter can play for the rest of her life because of the nature of the sport.

“It’s a positive place for her to go when she’s a teenager,” she said.

Tornado Tory may be a little on the clumsy side, but she’s having fun throwing rocks and Mom has seen her daughter become more focused than ever before, so the curling rink is proving to be a great place to be and that’s all that matters.

Throwing rocks without getting into hot water. That’s not a bad thing for any child.